29.6.12

RONNIE'S NEW IDEA

Newspaper
headlines suggested today that Ronnie O’Sullivan was planning a breakaway
tour but these were misleading. He isn’t.

What
O’Sullivan wants is a series of tournaments featuring hand-picked players he
thinks the public would like to see.

He wants these to run alongside existing World Snooker tournaments, although with the tournament calendar now so packed it would be hard to see how clashes could be avoided.

Not
all the quotes made it into the original stories but I have been given access
to them.

This
is what O’Sullivan said:

“Other
players like John Higgins and Mark Williams may feel the same as me soon. Get
them with maybe Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson and Judd Trump and
you have a show.

“These
are the players people want to see, the rest like Ali Carter are making up the
numbers.

“I
don’t see myself as in competition with World Snooker, they have big
tournaments, but if I’m not in main events I need to do other stuff.

“Stephen
Hendry retired for similar reasons, a year down the line who knows who might be
up for it.

“People
switch on the TV to watch certain players, like with John McEnroe in tennis.
They know the characters, know the person, are excited by what they do and
waiting for something to happen.

“I
am not the only one who feels this way, I am the only one who has had the balls
to say it. I believe there is another way, and I can open a door for other
players.

“They
could be fantastic, proper tournaments. Only eight players would have the status
that bring something to that, that the public would pay to see, that I would
pay to see.

“I
think seven or eight now on tour would be interested in that concept.”

O’Sullivan
is right that there are a handful of star names that draw the crowds. This is
true of any sport.

But
the danger is that a slew of tournaments featuring a small number of players
would soon become a bore.

Without
a ranking system or joined-up structure underpinning them they would just look
like a series of exhibitions, although this is not to say they wouldn't attract the paying public.

An exhibition featuring Ronnie against, say, Jimmy White is a good night out and the Snooker Legends organisers have made a success of their events, of which these two crowd-pleasers are a part.

I
can fully understand why O'Sullivan's idea would appeal to players: well paid events for
little real pressure.

But
would the public really take to them?

World
Snooker chairman Barry Hearn was distinctly unimpressed. He said: “Ronnie is
looking for something to do and tour players are not allowed to play in
unsanctioned events. We won’t sanction anything counter-productive to us.

“Tour
players playing in events set up by Ronnie is a non-starter. I expect him to
support the game that made him a world champion, not undermine it.

“He’s
a great player and we want him on tour, but there would be zero tolerance for
him or others joining him on this kind of thing. I am talking heavy sanctions.”

On
the face of it this isn’t very constructive. Why not work together?

But
neither of these big characters seems willing to back down now. In fact, the O’Sullivan
v Hearn turf war is developing into a rather tedious clash of egos.

If
O’Sullivan feels the players’ contract is too restrictive then he has every
right not to sign it. However, World Snooker sources are adamant he asked for
appearance money, which they flatly refused to pay.

O’Sullivan
can beat anyone on the snooker table but he won’t beat Hearn off it. He has
various people in his ear telling him he’s worth more than everyone else but
all they have done is left him without playing opportunities and, therefore,
financially poorer.

Ironically,
he seemed to be at his happiest early in his career when he was managed by,
yes, Barry Hearn.

This
latest plan will probably fall flat too. World Snooker won’t sanction
tournaments that clash with their own and the other players won’t risk
disciplinary action by competing in rival events.

I
was there in the thick of the TSN breakaway tour and all that it ultimately did
was damaged snooker and seriously depleted not only its reputation but also its
cash reserves.

However,
if O’Sullivan can bring new events to the table then World Snooker should not
withhold a sanction just because he doesn’t want to enter all of their
tournaments.

One
thing worth mentioning in closing: there already is an event which features the
game’s biggest names playing a series of matches for big money.

It’s
called the Premier League and O’Sullivan has opted not to play in it despite
winning it ten times, including all but one time under the shot clock rules.

Had
he won it this year it would have been worth around £80,000 to him. It’s an
event he genuinely enjoys and I think it’s one he’ll miss when it starts in
August.

Perhaps the real test of this long running saga is the extent to which it misses him.

18 comments:

How can you say he won't beat Hearn off the table?! If ronnie doesn't turn up snooker suffers therefore Hearn is doing a terrible job, which obviously means he fails!! and the point you make about ronnie losing money is totally irrelevant, ronnie is a multi millionaire who does not need money or public attention he has had plenty of it in the past!! he simply wants to play in top quality tournaments not 4 frame shootouts in Chinatown infront of joe bloggs and his dog!!

Looking at that SF line-up in Wuxi, a high profile invitational with Ronnie and Judd looks very appealing right now.

Cut a deal with him Barry. You're clogging the calendars with pro-ams, and the best players are starting to skip them. Drop the UK PTC spots and let outside promoters have the places in the calendar. If you can make room for Power Shite you can make room for 3/4 high profile invitationals. Would love to see the Irish Masters back, possibly a return of the Champions Cup featuring all players who won a WSA event. Yeah this could be good.

I personally think that the fact that Ronnie opted out an event he loves so much and that is so lucrative is actually a good measure how abusive he feels the players contract is.In an ideal world, people would sit together and talk.In the real world egos talk and people don't. Big shame.

There is a space in the calendar for a potential event. Why not let Ronnie use that for his hand picked has beens.

As the game moves towards a flatter structure, it would be no harm to have another couple of masters style events. It will make it worthwhile for top players to slog it out in the rankers to guarantee inclusion.

I was under the impression that, apart from Premier League, there was a tournament for big players - I believe it's called Masters.

IMHO, it's not how the World Champion should behave. He needn't have made it all about him - and the bit about Ali Carter was really uncalled for. Pity O'Sullivan doesn't want to take a special responsibility that comes with a win in a small theatre in Sheffield.

I wouldn't also point out to Wuxi semis line-up as a proof of Hearn's 'failure'. It's the beginning of a season. Many top players simply picked up a cue for the first time since WC on the way to the airport and so the supporting cast gets through. The same thing used to happen with Shanghai Masters. Remember how Dominic Dale and Ricky Walden won it? Or how Dave Harold got to the final of Norhern Ireland Trophy? Same story.

What is the obsession in snooker with invitational events ? Golf and tennis do very well with barely any! Snooker must not pander to a spoiled brat who only cares about himself and his own bank balance . Let him join Stephen Hendry promoting Chinese pool if he wants to !